Parasite Turns Ant into Bird Bait

“When the ant Cephalotes atratus is infected with a parasitic nematode, its normally black abdomen turns red, resembling the many red berries in the tropical forest canopy. According to researchers, this is a strategy concocted by nematodes to entice birds to eat the normally unpalatable ant and spread the parasite in their droppings. (Steve Yanoviak/University of Arkansas)

Parasites occasionally change
the behavior or looks of their
host, but a nasty tropical
nematode alters both, making
its ant host’s parasite-
filled abdomen resemble a
ripe red berry. According to
UC Berkeley and Univ. of
Arkansas biologists, thi…

Positive Change via Positive NewsThis site brings together just a few of the thousands of new species discovered since the year 2000.
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